JOURNAL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Published as a separate in The Journal of Foreign Languages, 2000, 76, 45-48.

EFFECTS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN JR. AND SR. HIGH SCHOOLS ON COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE ^{1 2}

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of foreign language on college in middle and high schools. 50 seventh grade students Ss were divided into a control group (participated in no foreign language activities or classes) and an experimental group (participated in foreign language activities and classes).
At the end of an 6 year foreign language program there were major differences between the control and experimental group dealing with college. This indicated that there was an effect on colleges with foreign language in middle and high schools. There was a increase in world awareness and college acceptance from the pretest to the posttest for the experimental group.

Foreign Language educators and high school guidance counselors tend to promote foreign language courses on the premises that foreign language leads to the acceptance to good colleges. It is believed that the knowledge gained in the foreign language classes promotes world awareness and shows the persons willingness to learn when a course is not required, and leads to college acceptance. Empirical studies have substantiated these beliefs in part. Wilson (8) found that colleges look at extra courses such as foreign languages that are not requires of most students. In a similar study James (3) showed that the majority of students taking language courses were more
likely to go to college and continue their education after high school. Littlefield (4) and Danforth


(1) both found a positive reaction to upper college acceptance for most high school students who engage in some form of language courses.
These studies suggest that by taking foreign language programs at middle and high schools college acceptance was greater at larger universities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of foreign language programs and activities offer at schools on college acceptance.

B. METHOD

1. Subjects

Ss were 50 male and female seventh grade students enrolled at Baltimore Junior High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

2. Measuring Instruments

a. Maryland Self Concept Scale. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was developed by Fournier (2) and has a reliability of .92. Ss rated items describing relationships with peers, family and self as to how descriptive they were of themselves on a five point scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
b. Teachers Deluxe Grading System. The Teachers Deluxe Grading System was created by Martin (5) for schools use. The grades of all 50 Ss were taken over all 6 years of testing to determine grade differences and then shown to colleges for acceptance records.
c. Foreign Language Concept Tests. The Foreign Language Concept Tests was created by Wesley (7) to be given at the end of the 6 years. At the end of the six years each experimental student was tested for their learning in the language that was taken. Students were then rated on a 1 to 5 scale, five being the highest.

3. Procedure

During registration in September, 1993, all 7th grade students were given the Maryland Self Concept test. Two piles were then created students with high self confidence and students with low self confidence. The scores were then looked at and 50 students were pulled out randomly of the two piles. 25 were pulled from those that scored a 49 or below indicating a low self image and 25 were pulled that scored a 50 or above indicating a high self image. The 50 students were then notified and put into a large room where the experiment was explained.
The students who were selected to participate in the experiment were randomly assigned to one of two groups- an experimental and control group. There was no knowledge of what the people in each group had scored on the Maryland Self Concept test Fournier (2). The control group participated in no foreign language classes or activities for the six years of study. The experimental group had daily foreign language class and activities from the three foreign languages offered (French, Spanish and German). During the classes each language was taught out of a Holt text book, Holt, Rinehart and Winston (6). Starting with level 1 each language move on another level each year. Basic concepts such as verbs, nouns, and description of people from that culture were taught during the course of the year, culture, current events and heritage were also explored. At the end of each year the Foreign Language Concept Test was given. Students in the control group had a study hall instead of the foreign language activities.

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When the level was complete, Teachers Deluxe Grading System, Martin (5) was used to
determine each experimental students progress and grades. Grades for foreign language courses were also compare to those in other courses. Throughout the six years each students progress and grades were kept and given to them when college applications were filed.
The progress of the experimental group showed more progress not only in foreign language but other courses as well, while little change over the six years were shown in the control group. At the end of the 6 years all students were requires to apply to 15 colleges of choice. The college acceptance letters were then recorded and kept. Another Maryland Self Concept test was given and results recorded.

4. Analysis

The experimental and control groups were compared on each of the three measures of a t test to insure equality between groups on the pretest. A t test for paired data was used to determine whether or not there were significant within group differences from pretest to posttest over each measure.

C. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Following the 6 year program the experimental group experienced a positive within-group change in foreign language achievement. When the acceptance letters were returned from the 15 colleges choices there was a greater number of acceptances by colleges from those students in foreign language classes. There was also a greater number accepted to larger better universities. The control group found that less college acceptances came and the colleges that they were accepted to were lower universities or technical colleges.
Another difference that was observed between the two group were that the experimental group felt more self confidence and a larger number of them had felt low self confidence in the beginning. The self confidence was also seen in the colleges that were chosen, (a greater number of harder bigger universities). The control group showed a steady amount of less self confidence and tended to choose more less larger universities and a greater number of technical colleges.
Further studies might explore the effects of foreign language only in high school or only in middle school. A 1, or 2 year study compared to a 6 year study. More language options may also be further exploration.

References

1. DANFORTH, L. M. Today’s Language. New York: Harcourt Publishing, 1997.
2. FOURNIER, K. H. Maryland Self Concept Scale. Nashville, Tenn.: Counsel. Recordings and Tests, 1978.
3. JAMES, S. K. Living Language. New York: Ballantine Books, 1989.
4. LITTLEFIELD, L. I. The Language that Shapes Students. New York: Bantam Publishing, 1990.
5. MARTIN, M. M. Teachers Deluxe Grading System. Boston Mass.: Counsel. Teachers Tools for the Future, 1998.

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6. RINEHART, L.Y. and WINSTON, K. S. Holt Foreign Languages. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company Publishing, 1996
7. WESLEY, H. J. Foreign Language Concepts. Austin, Texas: Holt. Basics Concept Tests, 1999
8. WILSON, D. Z. College and Language. New York: Bantam Publishing, 1989.


Department of Foreign and Modern Language
University of Hawaii
3078N SKLE
Honolulu, Hawaii 078566-9907

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¹ Received in the Editorial office on February 14, 2000, and published immediately at Boston, Massachusetts. Copyright by The Global Press

² This experiment was supported in part by a Faculty Research Fellowship granted to Andrew J. Granger and Ryan C. Greenlaw by University of Hawaii

³ Requests for reprints should be sent to the third author at the address shown at the end of this article

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